Cancer

Most people never expect to hear the words "you have cancer" even once. For Vaishnavi, 51, it hit four organs! Each diagnosis affecting a different part of the body, each bringing fresh uncertainty. Yet through every surgery, treatment, and recovery, she refused to let cancer define her life, proving that resilience can outlast even the toughest challenges. Please tell us a bit about your condition. Can you describe it? I have had cancers in four parts of my body. First one was in the esophagus…

Colorectal cancers are the sixth most common cancer in India, and increasingly becoming common in India, with an estimated 65,000 new cases every year. Dr. Ramakrishnan AS, a surgical oncologist unpacks colorectal cancer, the symptoms, diagnosis, role of biomarker testing, and largely focus on the surgical decisions. We also discuss how patients can be better prepared to handle the surgery and post-surgery recovery. This is adapted from the podcast episode where Aparna Mittal of PatientsEngage…

Uma*, 73 from Delhi, is an Endometrial Cancer survivor for almost 7 years. She believes in the need to follow treatment protocols but also to stay informed through credible sources. She wishes she was given proper advice to prevent long term complications. Read on to find out more. Please tell us a bit about your condition. Can you describe it? In September 2019, I was diagnosed with Stage 2B, Endometrial cancer that affected both my ovaries and uterus peritoneum. What were the early symptoms?…

Meera Balaji, 58 from Chennai was diagnosed with polio at 7. She talks of her challenges navigating breast cancer and uterine cancer as a person with disability. My polio background prior to cancer At the age of seven, I got afflicted by poliomyelitis. Since then, at a growing age, it was treatment, treatment and lots of treatment. I couldn't go to school or college. I shifted to home-based schooling. In the middle of treatment challenges, I completed my schooling and then later took up a…

Preeti Phad’s journey with cancer began long before she truly understood what it meant. She was diagnosed almost 30 years ago with Retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, at 9 years of age. The condition eventually led to the removal of one eye and required intensive, prolonged treatment. But the impact went far beyond the medical procedures. Growing up, she had to navigate a world where she looked and felt different, often struggling to understand why. Preeti, when were you diagnosed with…

For World Book Day, we asked parents of children with difficult illnesses if they found reading to their children helpful or if they themselves found solace in books. Suchismita Halder, mother of Ethan who has a rare condition Alagille Syndrome and Congenital Heart Disease 1. Any book that you read out to your child during a treatment or difficult phase which was both entertainment and comfort for both of you? Ethan is not very consistent when it comes to books—he goes through phases. When he…

On World Cancer Day, our contributors shared how cancer has changed their perspective and outlook towards life, irrespective of whether it turned their lives upside down or not.  You can also read their detailed cancer journeys by clicking on their names.  Sai Narayana Karanam, Lung Cancer How has cancer turned your life upside down? Cancer didn’t just challenge my health—it changed the way I see every single day. One moment I was living normally, and the next I was facing scans,…

World Cancer Day announced the Upside Down Challenge. Anita Nanda reflects on how cancer has changed her forever. And what gives her hope and keeps her resilient. How has cancer turned your life upside down? Cancer diagnosis is a life changing event in anyone’s life. Life is totally turned upside down. The treatment is long…what’s more it is not predictable. Everyday is a new day with different experiences. Cancer turned my life upside down in ways I never imagined. Before it entered my world,…

Prajakta Paranjpe, 47, a Singapore resident, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with almost no symptoms. A surgery and six rounds of chemo later, she has been clear for a year, and has even gone trekking to the Himalayas. Read how she navigated her recovery process. Today, I am totally fit and healthy. I am working full time and trekking on the weekends. In fact, I believe I am a lot healthier now than I was 5-7 years ago. At present, there is no evidence of cancer in my body. My last chemo was…

Binny*, a 57 year old woman from Mumbai shares her experience of living with a stoma bag after a diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer and the lifestyle changes she has to make to live life to the fullest. And practical and useful tips on travel, diet and clothing when living with a stoma.  Please tell us a bit about your condition. Can you describe it? I am a colorectal cancer survivor. I have had colostomy surgery (called Abdominoperineal Resection) in which a part of my large intestine (colon…